Prevalence of Plasmodium falciparum sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine Resistant Mutations among pregnant women attending University College Hospital, Ibadan
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2025-12
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Lead City University, Ibadan
Abstract
Malaria in pregnancy is a public health problem that continues to put pregnant women and their unborn babies at risk. Therefore, this study was undertaken to investigate the prevalence Sulphadoxine-Pyrimethamine drug resistance mutations among pregnant women attending ante-natal clinic (ANC) at University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan. A total of one hundred and five (105) eligible pregnant women attending ANC at UCH, Ibadan from February to July, 2024 were recruited for this study. Structured questionnaire was administered and about 5mls of venous blood samples were collected into EDTA bottle for malaria detection and dried blood spot samples for molecular drug resistance gene detection. Malarial parasite was detected using Microscopy and Rapid Diagnostic Test methods and antifolate wildtype genes pfdhfr and pfdhps, and their drug resistant mutant genes S108N and K540E were detected with Polymerase Chain Reaction using gene specific primers and visualized with agarose gel electrophoresis. Data analysis was done using SPSS version 25. Malaria prevalence was 17.1% with age group 25-34 years having significantly highest prevalence of 23.9% when compared to other age groups(P<0.05).Primigravidae and first trimester pregnancy had highest prevalence rates of 21.1% and 19.6% respectively when
compared to other groups but not statistically significant (P>0.05).There was association between gravidity, gestational age and parasite density with primigravidae and first trimester having significantly highest parasite count of 1500 ± 100/µl and 1600±100/µl respectively when compared with other group (P<0.05). Moderately high levels of antifolate wildtype genes: pfdhfr (6.7%) and pfdhps(12.4%) with their corresponding alleles mutant genes: S108N (4.8%) and K540E(6.7%) were detected. There was no association between age, gestational age, gravidity and SP drug resistance mutations (P>0.05). The mutations linked to antifolates suggest widespread resistance to sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine used for intermittent preventive treatment during pregnancy. Further studies should be done to address the prevalence of other genetic resistance markers.
Keywords: Malaria, Pregnancy, P.falciparum, antifolate wildtype genes, mutant genes
Word Count: 297
Description
Keywords
Malaria, Pregnancy, P.falciparum, antifolate wildtype genes, mutant genes
Citation
Kate Turabian